


Cozy Afternoon

by BulletNick



Category: Wandersong (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Shameless Self-Indulgent Shipping, Smooching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 09:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16720605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BulletNick/pseuds/BulletNick
Summary: It's been several weeks since they saved the world. Over time, the two of them have gotten closer, and a little more comfortable around each other. And the new ways in which they can express care, affection, and longing for each other.





	Cozy Afternoon

Miriam sighed as she looked out the window. The rain was still pouring in, loudly and fiercely. Leaving Bard’s house was entirely out of the question now, whether by foot or broom. She’d just get soaked and arrive at her own home looking like a complete mess.

Not that there was any real reason to leave. For a few weeks now, she’d been thinking about the idea of staying the night at his place; she could never muster the courage to ask him about it, or prepare her emotional defenses to bring it up to Saphy. There was no way to talk to her about it without also opening the door to implications and suggestions.

She knew that if she mentioned it to Bard himself, he’d obviously say yes. That was the thing with him; he’d almost always say yes to whatever small things she’d suggest, with the same cheerfulness and enthusiasm. He never seemed scared to go anywhere or do anything.

And despite all the weeks that they had been… a “thing”, whatever that meant, there was still this small uneasiness she couldn’t completely put away. It didn’t stop her from spending time with him, going places, and doing the occasional fun thing. It wasn’t even a completely unpleasant feeling, she realised when she stopped to think and reflect on it.

“Here you go, Miriam.” His voice snapped Miriam out of her thoughts by offering her a warm cup of tea.

“Thanks.” She took the cup and placed both hands around it, feeling a bit cold, before she took a sip. This… was actually quite good. It was a flavor she didn’t entirely recognise. It tasted familiar, but it had a unique twist. “This is good tea. Is this a Langtree variety?”

He nodded with a smile, holding his own mug in his hands, letting it cool for a bit before drinking it. “Yep, it’s a local leaf. It’s one of the first things I learned when I came to live here.”

Bard sat on his bed beside her, looking out the window. The view usually held a lovely view of the landscape, but was now obscured by thick rain and low clouds. Thankfully the house was keeping them warm; even modest construction and a tiny fireplace could give a cozy refuge from weather like this.

“Tastes a lot like one of Delphi’s blends, but… a little bit sweeter.” She said as she kept drinking, ignoring the slight burning sensation in her tongue. It was still a bit too hot to drink smoothly, but she didn’t care as long as it kept the cold away. Langtree’s air still felt like it was always a few degrees lower than Delphi’s. She was slowly getting used to it, what with picking him up so often, but the rain and breeze was a bit too much.

“You okay, Miriam? You didn’t burn yourself, did you?” He set his still full mug on his nightstand, letting it cool.

“I’ll be okay. Just a bit cold, that’s all.” It was sweet how he worried about her, for every big and small thing. It made her feel like there was no moment of feeling too small for him to ignore. At first it was slightly overwhelming, but it had grown on her, like most things about him.

That was just the way he showed how he… loved her.

She let out a sigh. It was still… something to get used to. She was accustomed to his actions, his voice, a lot about him… but knowing that it came out of a place of love, for her, that someone would feel that way, for her…

Well, Bard was a miracle worker if she ever saw one, but even weeks with him hadn’t yet undone years and years of all the negative thoughts she'd been telling herself. Thoughts about how she was meant to feel, and what she was not meant to feel.

“I got just the thing.” Bard opened one of the nightstand drawers, and took out a woolen blanket. “After a few months in here, I managed to save up enough to get this. And it was one of the best things I ever bought. The house gets cold during the winter, but with this you’ll feel quite cozy.” The blanket looked rather plain, just a large pale white cloth.

“Oh, you don’t have to…” Miriam wanted to protest, but as soon as he gently wrapped the blanket around her, she couldn’t find the words to say no. It felt so soft… and already she could feel better with it hugging her shoulders. As the soft texture rubbed against her wrists and neck, she almost felt like cuddling with it.

“...thank you.” Was all she ended up saying. He beamed a smile at her… and she returned a small smile, too. Even something as silly as smiling had changed for her. Miriam didn’t use to smile, at all. And truth be told, she mostly didn’t, still. But in those moments were it was just the two of them… it had become easier. A little more natural. Like she could trust him with a smile, and he’d know that as stupid as it might seem, it was a meaningful gesture.

“We’re going to stay here a while, we might as well be comfortable.”

She simply nodded, and went back to sipping the sweet tea and looking out the window. Miriam wasn’t sure why. There really wasn’t much to look at out there that she hadn’t seen. It was a nice view, yeah, but…

She also noticed that Bard was looking at her. Or was it staring?

“What?” She couldn’t help but ask. It wasn’t the first time he’d done that. Lately he’d been doing that more than he’d used to.

“I’m just… looking at you.” The reply struck her as impossibly innocent.

“I can see that. But why?”

“Because I like looking at you! Because I like you. A lot.” He said it with such irresistible cuteness, so plainly yet so sincerely. Miriam wondered why things like that still made her cheeks feel so hot and red. He’d become quite comfortable with vocalising his feelings, even in front of others, to her absolute mortification.

“Thanks.” It was an awkward response. What was she supposed to say? Return the favor? Say she felt that way too? No matter what option she considered, they all sounded… lame? No, like she… like she just couldn’t mean it, she couldn’t say it and feel it with the same purity and simplicity he did. It wasn’t like she didn’t feel the same way…

She did. She really did. She liked him. He was kind and selfless and dedicated and passionate and confident and honest and sweet and caring and it just… tore her inside that some days she felt like she just couldn’t compare to him when it came to being a good partner. But she couldn’t turn him down… she… wanted him too much for that. She could only hope she could give back to him somehow. But she never had the words for it.

“Hey.” Miriam caught his attention. She extended her cup to him, while pointing her head and gaze to the nightstand. Not quite sure what she was getting at, he took it and placed it beside his mug. While he was busy looking that way, she scooted closer to him, and extended her arm, holding on to the blanket, and with that arm embraced him, and now both of them were sharing the blanket.

“Awww, Miriam!” His expression lit up again as he took the blanket and wrapped himself even more in it, and now the two sat upon the bed very close together, side by side. “I like it when you get close to me.” Eya, that excitement he had towards everything was just… she wanted to be mad at it, but at the same time, it was one of the countless endearing things about him.

Miriam felt that uneasiness again. What was it? Was it fear? Uncertainty? Doubt? She couldn’t tell. She wanted to do all this with him, but there was still that instinct to pull back and not take a risk.

But then he hugged her very close. She found her cheek pressed against his, and he somehow felt even softer and warmer than the wool blanket that was joining them. And that uneasiness just… melted away. It didn’t matter anymore. It wasn’t important. He was here, with her, and it just felt right. Her nervousness or whatever it was be damned. She wasn’t going to let that get in the way of enjoying this and making the most of it.

She hugged back, holding him just as close. They stayed like this for a moment, the sound of pouring rain now only a distant sensation in their mind. It was as if the rest of the world had washed away, and it was just the two of them, here and now.

Her uneasiness finally vanished, she placed her lips on his cheek and gave him a small kiss. Almost immediately a blush appeared on his cheeks. Miriam had learned that even though it seemed like nothing could ever faze Bard, whenever she gave him attention like this, he became shy and quiet. And she relished that so much. This was his weakness, and if she could muster the courage to act upon it, he was all hers to turn into a speechless mess. She had an angle from which to confidently attack. It was a delicious feeling.

She pulled back to get a good look at his face. It was definitely redder than before, and his eyes, previously locked onto her, were now bashfully avoiding eye contact. But he couldn’t seem to keep his lips from quietly smiling.

She wanted to say something clever, or playful, or… flirty, she supposed. But she wasn’t good at that. So she’d stick to sending her message through actions.

She kissed his cheek again, this time lingering for a few seconds. The bard still couldn’t say anything, or dare to look at her. This happened every time she ever kissed him. Even if they had kissed before, it was still so new an activity to him. Even if they had both never kissed anyone before they got together (something that took a lot of trust and reassurance for Miriam to confide in him), and had no other point of reference, Miriam’s kisses felt nothing short of magical, making his heart do flips every single time.

“Miriam…” He wanted to say something, but he was only met by her finger swiftly placed upon his lips, and in the dimly-lit room, he could make out a soft scowl on her face.

“No words.” She commanded. “We’re not going to say anything. We’re just… going to enjoy this moment. Okay?” It was almost as if she was afraid of anything shattering her resolve, that even the tiniest interjection would spoil the desire.

He was filled with nervous glee, wondering what Miriam had in mind… and he didn’t want to discourage her. How could he say anything else, really? “Okay.”

She looked at him for a few seconds, and the scowl slowly changed into a determined gaze. She removed her finger from his lips, and with that, they parted slightly. She saw her opportunity, and without a care in the world, seized it.

Miriam lunged at his lips and started hungrily kissing them. Bard’s eyes flew wide open for a second, but shock quickly gave way to delight as her lips caressed his own. Miriam’s arms went from embracing his chest to holding his face closer to hers. She still had no idea what she was doing, but she didn’t care. She just wanted this. She didn’t care how clumsy and dumb she felt pressing her lips against his and wondering if she was supposed to be doing something else.

She just knew it felt good. Really good.

She kept going at it for a few seconds, before breaking away to breathe. Right, that was something you had to do during kissing. Taking a few heavy breaths, she examined his face again. The poor thing clearly wasn’t prepared for such an assault. He definitely looked like he enjoyed it, too. “Wow, Miriam-”

“I said no words.” She scolded him for a brief second, before launching her lips at his again. This time with such force that Bard was knocked back and ended up lying down on the bed, Miriam above him, thristily making out and figuring out this whole kissing business as she went. She had no clue why or how any of this worked, she just knew that pressing her lips onto his own felt amazing and she didn’t want to stop for a second.

Bard still didn't entirely understand what was happening, just that something about Miriam lips touching him made his heart go wild and flooded him with a certain ecstatic feeling he could hardly believe was real. He kept his eyes closed and tried his best to match Miriam’s movements. Maybe this whole kissing thing was like a dance, and he had to find the best way to follow a partner. He felt silly, because he had no knowledge of how this went, and for once his voice didn’t help him at all.

Miriam had to keep stopping for breaths, wondering how did people do this thing for more than a couple of seconds without suffocating. As she did, she realised that she was now hovering over Bard, her hair falling towards him, both of her arms to either side of him, locking him in place. Something stirred in the back of her mind, and made her take pause. Things could go in many directions from here. It all depended on how much she wanted.

In the midst of her internal struggle, Bard looked up to the amazing witch that was making him feel things he didn’t even know he could experience. Between her loud breaths, he gently raised his hand towards her face, and gently caressed her cheek. She seemed to snap back to reality as his thumb slowly ran over her skin, feeling her warmth.

Even in the now dim light of the room, offered by a slowly dying fire and a darkened afternoon sky, he could examine all of her features. Eyes, lips, nose, skin, hair… she really was very pretty to him. He wanted to tell her just how much joy it gave him to look at her. Not just as a loyal companion, but as someone whom he’d come to love and care for more than anyone else in the world. He wanted to say it, but she didn’t want any words… but maybe… he had an idea.

As Miriam simply looked at him gazing upon her, he carefully raised his head, and simply placed his lips onto hers. It wasn’t a hungry, aggressive smooch… but something gentle, slow, the kind of softness Miriam wouldn’t believe from anyone other than him. He didn’t push or shove himself onto her, but just… let them touch, confidently and simply. Miriam’s kisses were full of energy, and craving for something… but he just wanted to express tenderness, and happiness.

When he finally pulled back, as a very faint ‘mwah’ could be heard, Miriam sighed happily, and quietly leaned into his still caressing hand, barely smiling but clearly very grateful. And the initial anxious rush of adrenaline and intense desire slowly left her system, she let herself lie on top of Bard, resting her head beside his own, her breathing and heart rate slowing down.

Bard wrapped his arms around her once again, as Miriam kept going for his lips. Her desire was more calm now, as she took the time to appreciate the texture of his lips and the way he clumsily tried to move them along with her own. She was very aware of the way he so lovingly ran his hands down her back, rubbing her warmly beneath the woolen blanket that now covered both of them.

The two of them stayed there for several minutes, sharing these more modest kisses. Miriam then raised her head again to look him in the eyes, despite the fact that she felt a little embarrassed at the moment. “I’m sorry… I got a little carried away there. I’m… not even really sure what came over me.” She couldn’t help but think she sounded so dumb right about now.

But even with her apology… she had to admit to herself that going all out like that… felt amazing. It was like she had all of this pent-up emotional energy inside and she could just let it explode into a messy, careless moment of making out, throwing all restraint out the window.

Now that it was over, though… she appreciated his softer touch, gentler kisses, sweet caressing… it felt caring, protective, loving, delicate…

“It’s okay, Miriam. I… really liked it.” Bard reassured her, as he kissed her forehead, still not entirely able to believe that they had just made out like that and now the two of them were lying down together.

“Did you really?” She asked, hoping she hadn’t gone too far. He seemed to really enjoy it, too… she hoped she hadn’t frightened him.

“Yes. When you did that, it felt like my heart was… singing really loudly. Or maybe, it was vibrating in this really amazing way…” When he thought about it, none of that really made any sense. It was weird. Weird in the most wonderful way, but he just didn’t know how to say these things. He didn’t even really know what they were… just that Miriam made them happen and he couldn’t be happier for it.

“Well, I’m glad, because I enjoyed it, too.” Miriam said, for once not wishing to press him on the matter and just taking his word for it. She was just… glad she could have moments like these. It was so tiring to not know how to say things. She was better with actions. And even if she didn’t really know what or how other couples did this stuff, this just felt like the best way to get it out there for him to understand.

And when he not only said he liked it, but when he kissed her back as well, that’s when she felt confident that the desire was reciprocated. So just to make sure, she kissed him again. And he kissed back. So she did it again. And he responded again.

He was now wearing that smile again, the kind only he’d pull at a moment like this. “I love you, Miriam.”

Well that just wasn’t fair now… he always found exactly the right words that she couldn’t defend herself against. So she didn’t. She just laid her head beside his, and slowly relaxed, settling over him, ready to close her eyes and rest for a little while. “I love you too, Bard.”

And that was all that needed to be said. The bard kept embracing her, rubbing her back, and occasionally kissing her cheek as Miriam got comfortable and stayed on top of him for the rest of the afternoon. He wasn't sure if he’d ever get used to Miriam’s most powerful displays… but he certainly wasn’t complaining. When he looked at her, peaceful and content beside him, that when he really felt like everything was right with the world.

As he very softly sung a lullaby barely above a whisper, a smile grew on her face, as she cuddled with him, at long last, feeling like she finally knew what it meant to be happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, big thanks to my proofreaders [SilverDawn](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2251537/SilverDawn2010) for fixing my mistakes and giving me advice on how to write stories like this, since she's quite experienced in the area, as well as [PaperLaur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurelofthestory/works) for reassuring me of the quality of the work and what a delightful read this could for people who also ship these two.
> 
> As always, big thanks to the Wandersong people (Greg, Em, & Gord), and especially to the Wandersong Fan Discord server, who provided the inspiration and resolve that I needed to make this work. There are some very talented artists making incredible pieces of art, as well as fellow talented writer that make for stimulating conversation, and are a blast to discuss ideas and scenes with. You all kept my passion for the characters going strong and steady for weeks. Special mention should go to the wonderful WHATiFArtist for making a whole bunch of doodles that are responsible for giving me the energy I needed to make this happen.
> 
> Update: More special thanks to the incredible richy_nepp for making more fanart inspired by my fic! Go check out her sweet and lovely work [here](http://whisperingrockers.tumblr.com/post/180677432396/its-real-soft-hourswho-upgo-to-bed-inspired).


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